SB 26-170

Senate Bill 26-170, which has been signed into law, establishes a task force aimed at studying ways to expand access to effective public schools in Colorado. This task force will look into how to reduce opportunity gaps and must submit its findings and recommendations by January 1, 2027, or adjust the deadline if their first meeting is after July 31, 2026. The work of the task force will only proceed if the Department of Education receives enough funding from gifts, grants, and donations. This initiative affects public school students and families across Colorado by potentially improving educational opportunities.

Official Summary

The bill creates the access to opportunity task force (task force) to study and report on how to expand access to effective public schools to address opportunity gaps. The bill requires the task force to report its findings and recommendations to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, the governor, the state board of education, the commissioner of education, and the department of education on or before January 1, 2027, unless the first meeting of the task force is not until after July 31, 2026, in which case the deadline to complete the report must be adjusted to allow 5 months between the first meeting and the report deadline. The task force will only conduct a study and prepare a report if the department of education receives sufficient gifts, grants, and donations.(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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